Moutai is the Spirit of China’s Past, Present and Future

Credited with easing international tensions, marking history and preserving China’s legacy, Moutai is a strong little spirit with a lot riding on it. The brand of baijiu has been around wince the 1600s, a product of fermented sorghum and made with ingredients, including river water, local to the town of Moutai in China’s Guizhou province. Great Big Story highlights the drink’s history as a straight shot to be shared among friends to it’s reimagining into cocktail culture.

The award winning liquor takes five years to make and bottles of Moutai have become collectible as benchmarks of different periods China’s history. In recent years, due to a sorghum shortage, bottles of the spirit sell for upwards of $200 a piece, so it’s certainly top shelf. And with a proof of 106, it’s a strong part of Chinese culture in more ways than one.